Like many countries, Portugal has been experiencing increasingly hotter, drier weather. This has led to numerous massive wildfires. Since 2000, the country has lost about half of its forest cover to these blazes. More than 60 percent of these areas are on steep, dangerous slopes, making replanting difficult. Now, two teenagers have come up with an innovative solution — a tree-planting robot called Trovador.

Marta Bernardino and Sebastião Mendonça, both 19, grew up near Portugal’s capital, Lisbon. They spent much of their childhood exploring the nearby woods. Dismayed to see them repeatedly scarred by fire, they decided to act.

In 2023, while still in high school, the two began building Trovador. The first prototype, made from recycled parts, cost just $17. Yet, it could plant saplings about 28 percent faster than humans. Even better, 9 out of 10 saplings planted by the robot survived!

The students' work quickly drew international recognition. In 2024, they were named finalists in National Geographic's Slingshot Challenge. They received $10,000 to continue improving their prototype. The following year, they became the youngest recipients of a European robotics award for sustainability.

Trovador is now a four‑legged, dog-shaped machine. It is being built with lightweight materials to avoid damaging the soil weakened by fires. The robot will be equipped with a number of cameras and sensors. This will enable it to navigate safely over steep, hard-to-reach slopes.

To improve the chances of tree growth, the robot will use artificial intelligence to check soil conditions before planting. A GPS system will allow the team to track the robot's location and progress in real time. Trovador will be able to work up to three hours on a single battery charge and plant up to 200 saplings per hour!

Once ready, Trovador will be offered as a reforestation service. Clients will use an app to select the areas they want the trees planted. The robot will take care of the rest. Marta and Sebastião hope their invention will help revive Portugal's forests — one robot-planted tree at a time.

Resources: Interestingengineering.com, Smithsonianmag.com, Designboom.com